The island is almost too small to serve as adequate prep space, much less to cram in a prep sink. It's also abarrier, forcing you into awkward traffic patterns. Turn it into a peninsula coming out from the sink wall instead. That will give you adequate prep space as well as room for seating.

The island is 51" wide with the overhang and I have been prepping there for 12 years with no problem. What I was hoping to do is extend the prep/work part of the island towards the sink wall, but have the table off centered to avoid the wall. I understand if the sink wouldn't work, but am not really interested in a peninsula.

How wide is the aisle now (between the island and the main sink)? It looks wide, so I would agree that you should expand the island length-wise and add a prep sink.

Is there some reason the table has to attached to the island?

I only have one oven, and only had one oven in my previous home. IMHO, the size of the kitchen has zero to do with how many ovens you should have -- what and how you cook/bake should be the sole driving force in making that decision. Meaning, if you regularly need three ovens, then get three ovens. I don't regularly need more than one, so one is all I have.

Why would a microwave drawer under a wall oven look any more terrible than another oven, or a warming drawer, under a wall oven?

I agree that a peninsula would be better. If it were me, I'd play with moving the fridge where the range is, the range where the main sink is, and the prep sink on the peninsula forming a lop-sided U cook/prep area. And then move clean-up sink and DW to the wall now designated for the fridge.

This would give you separate prep/cook and clean-up areas. I'm no expert but I think it's worth considering.

We took a peninsula out 12 years ago and moved the water and gas lines. The peninsula cut off the family room from the kitchen and made the space look smaller. Besides, my husband would kill me if I suggested changing it all back! Plus, there is no eat-in area and we only use the dining room when we have a full house or on holidays. Fairly often, but not daily or even weekly, so I like having a table in the kitchen. The KD says making the island one level will look better, but I'm not sure. She says if it's one level, then it should be a rectangle, but if we do the seating at table height, then we could off-set it. I literally do not know what would look or work best.
The aisle between the sink and island is currently 54" and the space between the table portion and the wall is 42". The other side of the island is 40" to the fridge wall and that side of the table has 48" to the counter behind it.

I think it's really a matter of personal preference. Personally, I'd go with all one height before I'd have lower seating, but that's because I think it's awkward to be seated at normal table height and talk to folks who are standing/working.

IME, people in my kitchen prefer the bar height seating, and the counter height is the second choice. I wouldn't want table height, as I don't think it'd be comfortable for socializing with the chef.

This post was edited by szruns on Wed, Jan 28, 15 at 1:02

I'm not very talented with this but I played with a couple of ideas.

For a prep sink to be worth having, you need room on each side to put your produce and whatever else you're prepping. And while it is often better to have it offset with more room on one side than the other, in order to get a good wide space for most of the chopping, you have it too offset with nothing on the one side.

The first idea expands your island a bit for more space on each side for prepping. I don't know if you have enough room for much more of an island. I would suggest 48" aisles. Some folks seem OK with 42" but, to me, that's a little tight and makes for more congestion issues. I agree with szruns that counter height seating is usually better on an island for folks to converse with cook. And it gives you extra counter space if you're doing a lot of cooking/baking at one time.

And I'm assuming you must do some mass cooking or baking to feel the need for a third oven. If you don't do that, why do you need it? Personally, I cook a lot but I've always been fine with one oven. I am adding a second, probably a combo microwave/convection, in my remodel for the occasional times I might need it. I just can't imagine what I'd do with three. YMMV.

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Here's an option with a short peninsula and then an attached rounded seating area that shouldn't cut off the room too much and some appliances moved around in a way that I think would make more sense keeping prep/cook areas on one side of the room and clean-up on the other.

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Hope it makes sense and helps a bit.

Regarding the additional oven, something I'm looking into is a microwave/convection oven...you can actually bake in it and everything.
Regarding the island I'm not sure. My old home had a table (same material counterop and legs as my kitchen counters and cabinetry) attached to a counter height prep island. The table rounded out semi-circle shape and seated 5. I loved it. It was a nice buffet to set up the food on for serving, or dinner prepping while kids did homework at the table. However it was longer that your island so I don't know how that would work.

Personally, I like the table against the island. I am short, and hate having to crawl onto a stool to eat. I would never do it if it was for every meal.

I think it would be ok and definitely more functional, but not the most aesthetically pleasing to have your table offset. I think I would look at completely separating them. It is hard for me to say what is possible in your space without adjacent room measurements, but perhaps a small round table would fit in the space between kitchen and family room.

I am more concerned that it seems you only leave space for a 30" fridge. That is small for today's kitchens and would be hard for a future owner to replace, not to mention it seems out of proportion with such a large range and the 3rd oven.

Thank you @ funkycamper for you design assistance! I just re-measured and there is 55" between the island and the sink. The current sink cab is bumped out 3", but it won't be in the new kitchen. This means there would be 58". If I made the island 6" wider towards the sink side, that would give me a 57" island, which I assume would function better without a sink since I could do big drawers and the mw drawer in the island. I wish I had more room to accommodate another sink, but I don't want to sacrifice any more storage and prep space. The only remaining question is whether to do the eating portion of the island table or counter height. I have a feeling with it being offset, it will look better if it is table height.
As far as the refrigerator, the 30" integrated SZ all fridge is bigger than our current 36" sz, and by putting the freezer drawers under counter, it will give us more counter space on the fridge wall. We have a large refrigerator and freezer in the garage and only use the freezer inside for a few items and ice.
Btw, the sink needs to stay in its current spot, as it is centered under the kitchen window, which is 51" and allows me to look at my beautiful backyard while I am doing dishes.
The third oven might seem frivolous to many, but at least once a week I wish I had one. During the holiday season and when I entertain, I drag out the countertop oven that looks terrible and performs so-so.

If I'm understanding the measurements you give above, you have 159" from fridge to sink. I'd actually aim for the standard 48" on each side of the island, shifting and lengthening it. IMO, 40" sounds way too tight in front of a fridge or wall oven, and 54" is way more than necessary by the sink. But if you move the island down, you could still have room for a 5' island and in that case I'd go for it with the prep sink. I'd place it off center toward the fridge.

If you decide to have a sink in the island, can't you have MW drwrs in the cab next to the range? I don't think having the MW in the DO cab would look strange, but maybe having the MW at a different cab would help prevent congestion in one area.

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[Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Auburndale General Contractors Auburndale Builders LLC.

You're welcome but I don't know how helpful I was. If it were me, I'd definitely do the prep sink in the island if you're going to stay with your same perimeter. Work flow in the kitchen should go from fridge to sink/prep area to cook. Your work flow is fridge go around island to sink and then back to cook. Very inefficient. At least if you get a prep sink on the island, you're eliminating a lot of unnecessary steps and the flow is better.

Also, a prep sink allows someone else to be cleaning or, at the very least, not having to take dirty dishes out of the clean-up sink to prep. Or have to move veggies you're prep from sink if you need to clean a pot.

I agree with controlfreakecs about placement and aisle issues.

As for wanting to look out the window while washing dishes. Meh! I love my windows and my views but most of the time in the kitchen is prepping/cooking. Per studies, clean-up takes up around 20% or less of the time in the kitchen. At least if you're using a DW. Having a sink centered on a window is over-rated for design and function purposes, in the opinion of many folks here at GW.

How many people typically sit at the offset table? In the photo you provided, I see 3 chairs. If that's all that seats there, I really encourage you to consider my half-round idea. It still gives adequate room for eating, allows you to face each other good enough for conversation, but provides much better flow than the rectangle table you want to use. I think if you google around for images, you'll find it's quite attractive and will make for more room to walk around your kitchen.

It does sound like you could use three ovens so go for it. But you might consider a combo microwave/speed oven instead of a regular oven. Or at least a microwave/convection oven.

@funkycamper: you have been very helpful! More than anything else it's great to get input from someone objective. My dh tells me to do whatever I want for the most part. He really only cares about having 3 ovens and getting inset shaker cabinets (He loves the way they look). Even the appliances and countertops he is leaving to me as long as I choose well! lol
Three of us normally sit at the table, but we sometimes pull in chairs from the dining room if my older sons are here. We never eat in the dining room unless we have to. It's just cozier in the kitchen and family room. Thank you for validating my need for a prep sink... it drives me nuts to walk to the sink and then back to the island where all prep is done. Obviously it works, but could be improved on.
Here are some pictures of off centered island/tables:

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I think the last one is the best for your space, at least from the diagrams. However, the second picture has a floor plan quite similar to yours and it seems to work there. I think that room looks a bit more square than yours though. Hard to tell. You know your space best and if you think the other rectangular style works fine, go for it. It's just so much easier to walk around a rounded item than a square one. Especially when the square one takes up more floor space.

I do hope you get your prep sink in that island. I think you will find it so much quicker and easier to put a meal together than traveling back-and-forth across the kitchen and around the island.

Good luck and happy planning!

If your KD can provide you with renderings/walkthru's it may be easiier to decide.

I tried a few, though not sure if my dimensions are correct or not.

1) {{gwi:2138152}}

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2) {{gwi:2138155}}

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3) {{gwi:2138152}}

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@Sena01 thank you so much for taking the time to provide me with a visual aid! Ideally, we would push the family room wall back 4' to line up with the kitchen sink wall. That would give us more room for the island and a bit more cabinetry. Unfortunately, it is a load bearing outside wall. Removing it would cost 40k plus additional for redoing the patio and overhang. Not worth it for an addional 4 feet.

melis, we have our prep sink on the corner cabinet of the island and like it that way. It allows someone to use the prep sink to wash their hands without getting in the way of someone doing prep. Occasionally when multiple people were over cooking together, we have had someone working in the usual prep spot and someone else prepping on the side of the island with both sharing the sink.

I've never missed having space on the other side of it. I put the cutting board next to the sink with bowls or pots to receive the prepped food on the other side of the board and produce yet to be prepared on the counter behind the board. It keeps everything compactly together in reach of me standing in front of the board.

With your kitchen layout, I can see how a prep sink would be useful there rather than taking stuff out of the fridge, walking across to the sink to rinse it off and then back to the island to prep. Without a prep sink, in that layout, I'd probably do most prep between the sink and the range using the island just for things like rolling dough. loading cookie trays, placing cooling racks.

Unlike others here, our family prefers table height seating. We do have a couple of bar stools at the island where people occasionally hang out keeping the cook company, but we prefer sitting in chairs where our feet touch the ground for meals. Without space for both bar seating and table seating, I'd choose table height seating.

To find out for yourself what would work for you, you might try putting a plate or bowl on your current counter to represent the sink and going through the motions of preparing food with it there. Mock-ups are a great tool.

I think a microwave drawer under a wall oven would look fine in the general case. Is there one that goes well enough with the Gaggenau oven? Their ovens have a different look.